How Much Does Hormone Use Increase Risk for GERD?

Hormone use was associated with 37% to 66% higher risk for GERD symptoms, depending on the preparation used.

Women who take hormones to relieve menopausal symptoms have excess risk for developing symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease. To determine the magnitude of this association, researchers prospectively reviewed information on 51,637 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study. Participants had provided information about GERD symptoms as well as about use of postmenopausal estrogen- or progesterone-based hormone therapy (HT), selective estrogen-receptor modulators (SERMs; tamoxifen or raloxifene), and over-the-counter (OTC) HTs biennially from 1976 to 2002.

To limit reverse causality, researchers restricted analysis to women who had GERD symptoms for ≤5 years. Effect modification was evaluated by stratification for body-mass…

Reviewing Author

David A. Johnson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory boardMedscape/WebMD; Pfizer; CRH Medical Corporation; Aries

EquityCRH Medical Corporation

Editorial boardsMedscape Gastroenterology

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Gastroenterology Research Institute Board of Directors

David A. Johnson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory boardMedscape/WebMD; Pfizer; CRH Medical Corporation; Aries

EquityCRH Medical Corporation

Editorial boardsMedscape Gastroenterology

Leadership positions in professional societiesAmerican College of Gastroenterology Research Institute Board of Directors